Mystery Solved: Why Do Tattoos Stay On The Skin Forever?

It is still not fully understood by science how a tattoo remains permanent on the skin. This is because the immune system is constantly trying to eliminate them. When someone is tattooed, the body interprets the ink as an external aggression. However, detailed information about this process can be found below.

Tattoos all over the body

Tattoos are done through a process where pigment is injected into the dermis, the deepest layer of the skin. The tattoo machine's needles pierce the skin several times a minute, depositing the pigment in layers.

The skin is the first barrier of the immune system and has fast-acting defensive cells that can come into action when they are violated, with the aim of detecting anything strange and destroy it.

Tattoo ink is made up of pigment particles that are larger than skin cells. This prevents the body's white blood cells from removing the pigment particles, as they are too large to be transported through the blood vessels.

Thus, the particles in pigments are bulky and difficult for immune cell enzymes to degrade, which ends up forming a permanent mark.

When the cells that contain the tattoo pigment die, they break down and release the pigment in their nucleus. However, soon after, the pigment is taken up by other types of immune cells, and the cycle starts again. That's why it's so difficult to remove tattoos with a laser.

Scientists have also observed that tattoo pigment can alter the proteins they produce and the signals they send to other cells. One theory is that the cell may begin to over- or under-react to materials strangers, potentially putting the immune system at a disadvantage if a new tattoo runs out inflamed. However, it is still important to point out that infections are rare with tattoos.

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